What's to counter? At the most Sony can use the Switch as the direction to go with a new PS Vita.

They don't need to. Nintendo can grow outside of the MS/Sony sphere. Sony should be more worried about MS and vice versa.

You got it backwards, the Switch was Nintendo's counter.

If your not aware of the hardware sales:

Nintendo (Wii U + 3DS) about 74 million (obviously some overlap)

Sony (PS4 + Vita) about 60 million (obviously some overlap)

MS (XB1) about 24 million (no overlap)

That's really interesting. If doing it that way you might as well throw in Windows and Sony phones into that list. With some overlap too of course. 

While we are at it lets throw in Blu-ray players and windows PCs too. 

So when the Switch is released, are you going to add switch +3ds sales together? or is it WiiU plus switch sales togetehr since they share a lot of similar games. Hell, why don't we just add all three together?

Hmmm, I'll be honest I'm having some difficulty wrapping my mind around the next generation (not being present doesn't help, heh) partly because I see parallels to previous generations, only they don't match up perfectly. Some say history doesn't repeat, only rhymes.

Anyways, bear in mind that with the big revolutions like NES, N64, and Wii (2D/3D/Motion), the hardware often dictated the software. So even when competition didn't replicate the hardware they often indirectly followed Nintendo's lead through influence of software. The big guys would clearly be Mario-2D, Zelda-3D, Wii Sports-Motion. I see this being forgotten in this thread.

Competition/Markets are always looking for the next big thing. When you mention VR I think you have a legitimate point. Nintendo doesn't seem to be reaching out for it perhaps due to failed attempts. I'm not sure how to categorize what the Switch's "new" appeal is. It's not trying to be revolutionary like the Wii, but I think there may be some hidden features that showcase innovations in portability beyond the obvious trait of home console power on the go. I could be wrong, as we've been fed very little in the Switch trailer.

VR could be the next big thing, but Sony and Microsoft aren't pushing it like it is. it hasn't caughten fire like motion-controls, 3d-gaming, or 2d-gaming. What are they waiting for? Also, it's my belief that a new entertainment has to catch fire in order to be accepted. - foreign concepts have a steeper threshold for acceptance.

That's an interesting point, because the whole idea of the switch is console-powered gaming in a portable. If Sony is successful with it's home console business, perhaps a Switch re-modelling could tap into its current 40mil user base. People seem to agree that's Nintendo's same philosophy as well, only reverse with portables.

This.

This.

In the scenario where the mass market decides they want a better experience than smartphone games and they accept 720p as 'good enough' in exchange for portability, Sony and MS won't be able to 'do a Switch'. I don't think this is accidental.

How would a hybrid work? Ignoring price/power/battery for a PSwitch4 for a second, say I want GTA5. Rebuying it for the portable means it isn't a hybrid. But I can't use a PS4 disk in the portable so it would have to be digital. But there wouldn't be enough SD space for all-digital so it would need a cartridge. But making a cartridge is going to add even more cost and unless Sony is going to supply carts for any game you already own it just isn't going to work.

They'd have to make a dedicated portable and people would expect HDMI-out to play on TV, so they'd end up with a portable 'hybrid' of their previous console without the software. They'd be going round in circles.